Obituary

Annette Mullins was born to Otis and Robbie Lawson on January 9th, 1943, in Hartford, Alabama. She was the seventh of ten children. They are Willie Bell, Annie, Betty, Otis Jr., Alfred, Bobby Jack, Bobby Gene, Norma, and Joyce. Annette received the Lord as her Savior at Bethel A.M.E. Church.

The Lawson Family later moved to Lakeland, Florida, where Annette attended and graduated from Rochelle High School in 1961. After graduating she moved to Chicago and lived there for 20 years while working in banking.

She later moved to Inglewood, California, where she worked at 1st Interstate Bank. Later in her career, she was employed as a school and city bus driver for Laidlaw and Omnitrans bus system.

After moving to California, Annette and James E. Mullins met through mutual friends and on December 6, 1975, they were joined together in holy matrimony. From this union, 2 children were born, Shannon and Shanae. She was also a stepmother to Patricia, Stacie, Eric and Carl. The family attended Crenshaw Christian Center in Inglewood, where Frederick K.C. Price pastored. Later she and her family moved to Arizona on February 9th ,1991.

If you ever met Annette, she never met a stranger. She was an incredibly vibrant, passionate, loving, spunky, energetic, entertaining, and devoted woman of God to say the least. She enjoyed shopping (QVC shopping network lol), dancing, cooking (red velvet cakes, pork chops with rice, sweet peas and spaghetti to name a few), getting her nails done every week, and spending time with her family. She also loved going to the Phoenix Suns and Diamond Backs games. She was a firecracker and very loud when it came to supporting her teams. She took over the role of being referee when there was a bad call made. Her career continued with the city of Tempe, Valley Metro, as a bus driver, where she was promoted to Supervisor and later retired.

Annette loved spending time with her grandkids and great grandkids (with one great grandchild on the way in June of 2023) going on road trips, traveling, and attending school activities. She loved the color purple, listening to gospel music, watching her soap operas, like the Young and the Restless, All My Children, Days of Our Lives and General Hospital. She also loved watching ‘The Price Is Right’ show and was absolutely thrilled when she was able to attend and be part of the audience with her sister Norma.

We deeply appreciate the care our Mom received from The Groves and Hospice AMHA.

Her unconditional love for her family and friends is why we are gathered on this day. She would want us all to “Keep dancing and ease on down the road.” Her spirit lives on in each of us.

Annette is proceeded in death by James E. Mullins (husband), Otis and Robbie Lawson (Parents), Willie Bell Caldwell (sister), Annie Lawson Tinsley (sister), Jessi Jean Tinsley (brotherin-law), Leon Johnson (brother-in-law), Otis Lawson Jr. (brother), Rozella Lawson (sister-in-law), Alfred Lee Lawson (brother), Sarah Williams Lawson (sister-in-law), Lawrence Mullins (brother-in-law), Catherine Mullins (sister-in-law) Patricia Carrington (step daughter) and Christine Layne (cousin).

She leaves behind to cherish her memory, her daughters Shanae Wilson and Stacie Meguro, sons Shannon Mullins, Eric Mullins, and Carl Mullins, sisters Betty Jean Lawson, Norma Lawson Wilson, and Joyce Lawson, and her brother Bobby J. Lawson. She is also survived by her 14 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held at 5PM, Wednesday, May 24 at Thompson Funeral Chapel.